r/AskUK • u/Snoo-7986 • Mar 22 '23
What subscription is worth every single penny?
Inspired by the askreddit thread, I thought I'd ask here for uk centric answers. :)
3.6k
u/Viazon Mar 22 '23
Spotify. I pay £9.99 and can listen to pretty much any song I want to.
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u/rocki-i Mar 22 '23
Yeah, I sometimes cancel this to save money, and always end up resubbing. I only really listen to music in the car and thought "is it really worth £10". Yes. Yes, it is.
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u/Jlaw118 Mar 22 '23
If you want to save money in the long term and can afford it, I buy myself a 12 month gift card for £99 and redeem it. Saves just over £20 a year and still getting the same service
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u/he_said_it Mar 22 '23
If there are 2-6 of you, you can chip in for the family plan. £16 per month for 6 accounts/profiles
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u/-HM01Cut Mar 22 '23
You do technically need to be under the same roof, but i've had my family plan for years and everyone's moved out and updated their address since; Spotify don't seem to care
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u/sihasihasi Mar 22 '23
They check that the person is at your home address at the time of sign-up. After that, they really don't care. Son's GF currently has one of our spare family accounts.
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u/SuitableTank0 Mar 22 '23
If you have a costco membership (or know someone who does) you can get the giftcards for less than face value.
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u/Viazon Mar 22 '23
I suppose things are worth what you get out of it. If you don't use something as often, it won't be. For example, I rarely order anything from Amazon, nor do I watch much on Prime Video. So it didn't make sense for me to have an Amazon Prime account, except for the time a specific TV I want to watch has dropped a new season. But music, I listen to all the time.
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u/Limbo365 Mar 22 '23
100% this
I pay for the family version (£16.99/m) and last year I averaged about 50p an hour just for myself
Pretty great entertainment to £ ratio
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Mar 22 '23
I agree although I use Apple Music.
I have Spotify on my company laptop as the ads are blocked so I get unlimited songs on the free version.
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u/GregorF92 Mar 22 '23
Apple Music have significantly laxer requirements for the student discount too, all you need is a .ac.uk email and you can get half price Apple Music with free Apple TV+, Spotify you need to have an active university login and I believe they cap the discount at 4 years (last I checked).
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u/Jpmoz999 Mar 22 '23
What????!?!!!!?!?!! I did not know this. Thanks very much Mr F92
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u/RipleysNest Mar 22 '23
Bro, if you can get a few friends together to make a family account it's even better. I just direct debit £2.50 to my mate for my Spotify every month. Been going for yeaaarssssss.
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u/Tom22174 Mar 22 '23
And for those that aren't aware, this is different to account sharing. You all get to keep your separate accounts and and playlists and stuff so you aren't fucking up each other's daily mixes
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u/TheOccultSasquatch Mar 22 '23
It's the only subsription i've used every single day since i signed up, which funnily enough i only upgraded from the free version when they were giving away a free google nest mini.
Without Spotify my life would be exponentially shit.
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u/DifferentWave Mar 22 '23
Yep. £9.99 to impulsively check out that new band I just heard on 6Music or just read a review of, to explore an artist’s entire back catalogue, to find a background playlist that fits my mood right now or to revisit the song I’d forgotten I couldn’t get enough of when I was 15, it’s a no-brainer for me.
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u/metimmee Mar 22 '23
I agree, I just wish they'd pay artists more.
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u/happymellon Mar 22 '23
The problem here is assuming that Spotify pays artists.
Spotify pays 70% of the revenue for a song. There is a middleman between Spotify and the artist that causes the problem here. Don't fall for the BMA/RIAA misdirection, the people taking most of the money is the label/distributor.
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u/Simowl Mar 22 '23
Yeah. I appreciate those that want to outright own their music, but with over 3000 liked songs (and always wanting more) Spotify will always be a great deal for me.
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u/IwillDominionate Mar 22 '23
But you can listen to anything you want without paying for Spotify though.
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u/emil_ Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 22 '23
If only they'd stop it with the pointless changes to the UI that no one asks for...
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u/evenstevens280 Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 22 '23
I like music subscription services, but I feel like I value music less because of it, which is a shame. On the other hand I've heard and discovered so much music that I probably otherwise wouldn't have.
I think I've definitely traded quality for quantity on the whole.
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u/kingkongjaffa Mar 22 '23
Yesterday I had two laptops open and my phone, I was listening to Spotify on one device with my headphones, I absent mindedly changed the song on my phone and the other laptop and it just worked as a remote for my actual listening one. It just works. It’s a great product.
Very upset they changed the like “heart icon” to be a + icon though on the iOS app
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2.1k
u/sandra_nz Mar 22 '23
Cloud storage for my photos. Precious memories and approximately 50,000 photos of my cat, all kept safe and sound.
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u/islandmonkeee Mar 22 '23
That's a cataclysmic number of photos.
I'll get me coat
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u/Imperial_Squid Mar 22 '23 •
Nah you gotta stick around to see the aftermath of your puns
Don't pussy out on us
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u/ICanEditPostTitles Mar 22 '23
Keep a separate copy on a USB hard drive, offline.
If you get ransomwared on your computer, it could potentially encrypt/corrupt your Google Drive files too.
An offline copy (make sure it is unplugged, in a drawer at home somewhere), that you update maybe quarterly, will provide an addtional level of protection for the most important files.
I actually alternate two USB drives, one in Q1 and Q3, one in Q2 and Q4, in case by some unfortunate coincidence, the day I update my USB backup disk is also the day I get a ransomware infection. I'll know about the problem by the time the next quarterly update happens and make sure to keep my backup USB offline until I have cleaned up.
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2.1k
u/ANonWhoMouse
Mar 22 '23
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Tax subscription. Bit difficult to unsubscribe, but it’s allowed me to use services like the NHS and the public road network to get around. For my education, I paid to a different subscription service, but the idea is the same here.
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u/schmerg-uk Mar 22 '23
Was looking for the first person to say the BBC (amazingly no one so far) but you make the more general point...
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u/KINGPrawn- Mar 22 '23
I would unsub to BBC if I could
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u/WinstonwanlegIngram Mar 22 '23
I mean you can. You just get annoying people at the door and laughably pathetic letters every now and then.
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u/minipainteruk Mar 22 '23
I don't know whether I just get lucky but I went online and told them i didn't need a licence because I dont watch any tv (which is true, i only use netflix and other things like that). I think they wrote to me once, I think, after about two years, to check that was still the case. Never heard from them otherwise!
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u/doomladen Mar 22 '23
That's exactly how it's meant to work. They'll write every three years or so just to check that you still live there, in case somebody new moved in who does need a licence. Otherwise they leave you alone.
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u/girl-lee Mar 22 '23
They left me alone for about 6 months, I’ve started receiving threatening letters again. Tbh I think it’s ridiculous, absolutely no other service or company would write to you every week threatening to prosecute you just in case you’re using their service. Imagine Netflix sending people out to your house just to make sure you’re not using someone else’s password otherwise they’ll take you to court, or Spotify or Apple Music or something, there’d be hell on.
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u/doomladen Mar 22 '23
The difference is that Netflix, Apple etc. don't have a legal obligation to collect their fee from everyone who uses their service whilst at the same time not being allowed to gatekeep their service through logins. The BBC is in an impossible position because of the way licence fees work, which is why some other countries have abolished them and replaced them with broadband levies etc. The whole system needs to change, especially with the mass move to streaming over the last decade, but it's up to the Government to decide what new model to move to. In the meantime the BBC just does what it needs to do to comply with the law.
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u/Nick_Gauge Mar 22 '23
Shame a lot of people don't see paying tax as a membership to society and more see it as "the government is stealing MY MONEY"
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u/Medium-Brilliant-270 Mar 22 '23
I think that’s because the subscription fee isn’t the same for everyone - Spotify or Netflix don’t charge you more if you earn more.
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1.5k
u/djwillis1121
Mar 22 '23
edited Mar 22 '23
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YouTube Premium with one big caveat, you have to sign up with a VPN.
I signed up from Turkey using a VPN and it only costs me about £1.50 a month.
That's totally worth it to have no ads, downloads and being able to listen to videos with the screen off.
Edit. All the people telling me to use an Ad Blocker. I know I could do that but it doesn't work on the YouTube app. It also doesn't let me download videos and listen with the screen off. I'm happy to pay £1.50 a month for an easy solution across all devices.
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u/TheBristolBulk Mar 22 '23
You may have just changed my life. A million thank yous from ‘Turkey’ wink wink. Do you need the VPN active while you use the account or just to sign up for Premium?
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u/djwillis1121 Mar 22 '23
Just to sign up
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u/TheBristolBulk Mar 22 '23
Absolute legend! Thank you! Or teşekkürler, as the people of my homeland say. Would this also work for Netflix if I cancelled my UK sub and re-subscribed from my condo in Ankara?
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u/xarephonic Mar 22 '23
I regularly use my Netflix I signed up for back when I lived in Turkey. No problems so far.
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u/BastardsCryinInnit Mar 22 '23
I have the UK subscription and I don't even feel like I'm being ripped off.
It's worth it to me.
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u/djwillis1121 Mar 22 '23
Yeah I used to pay full price and didn't mind but being able to save £10 a month and get the same service was a no brainer to me
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u/JamesEightySixx Mar 22 '23
Worth pointing out too that it includes YouTube Music too, I cancelled Spotify saving £9.99 a month too.
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u/Pimp_out_Pris Mar 22 '23
Adblock and a second tab does exactly the same thing on a PC. Are you talking about mobile devices?
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u/JamesEightySixx Mar 22 '23
I use Premium on my iPhone / iPad. Game changer in all honestly. I think I signed up via Estonia and it was £2.50 per month for a family plan.
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u/passaroach32 Mar 22 '23
Or you could just get revanced like everyone else does? 🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️
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u/cblankity Mar 22 '23
Shhh. Just keep that between the cool kids. The more people know, the more Google will crack down
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1.2k
u/RipleysNest
Mar 22 '23
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NHS prepayments. Only worth it if you're medicated as fuck like me but literally no one told me about this for agrees and I was paying £50+ a month for my prescriptions. Now I just direct debit £10.00 a month to the NHS and get unlimited prescriptions. Top shit.
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u/Oatley1 Mar 22 '23
Just to add to this, a simple blood test can save you prescriptions for life with some health conditions that you just won't know about unless you look for it. I have a completely non-life threatening illness which makes 0 impact to my very active lifestyle, but because it's for life I get a prescription exception card and any prescriptions I get, even outside of the monthly one I need for this condition, is completely free.
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u/youdontknowmeyouknow Mar 22 '23
Yet as a chronic asthmatic, I still have to pay, boils my piss. But the pre-payment cert is a bank-account saver!
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u/MrTurdTastic Mar 22 '23
Same here but with Crohns disease, lifetime of medication and beyond my control but still have to pay.
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u/youdontknowmeyouknow Mar 22 '23
It really sucks. I have a friend who suffers various illnesses which can all be traced back to their lifestyle choices (confirmed by various specialists), but now the damage is done. Because one of those conditions falls on the right list, they don't pay for any prescription. Don't get me wrong, I want them safe and happy, but it does stick in my craw a bit.
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u/vanity_is_a_mess Mar 22 '23
Kidney transplant patient, I have to pay even though my medication is life saving. The government don't class it as lifesaving. Even though if I stopped taking my tablets my kidney would fail and I'd die or be back on dyalisis which costs the NHS £50-80k a year.
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u/King_of_the_Toast Mar 22 '23
This is a much needed service but it's inexcusably out of date. It fails to cover a lot of conditions that actually need it the most - for example, my liver transplant doesn't qualify, even though any transplant is going to need medication for life to not die.
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u/Kadoomed Mar 22 '23
It's criminal that you pay for prescriptions in England. Only place in the UK that does that.
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u/sobrique Mar 22 '23
I'm ok with paying - I can afford it. All the people who can't afford it, don't have to.
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u/deadsouls123 Mar 22 '23
A white paper recently showed that everyone paid 50p per prescription, we would be billions better off. Many of those people who 'need' free prescriptions take the piss like getting paracetamol on it, which costs the NHS a lot as they're not prescribing generics.
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Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 22 '23
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u/Kadoomed Mar 22 '23
I had to get a prescription for paracetamol after I broke my spine and had to take it long term. You can only buy two packets over the counter so those with limited mobility and chronic pain need a prescription for larger amounts.
Bit presumptuous to call docs stupid for prescribing it when there are some very good reasons to do so.
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u/jimbobhas Mar 22 '23
Become Type 1 Diabetic, free prescriptions! One of the few benefits of Diabetes
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u/never_ending_circles Mar 22 '23
Yes, they really need to advertise this more. Pharmacies should be mandated to tell you if you are getting more than one prescription at once. I've been using it for over 10 years and the price has hardly gone up, while it's gone up loads for individual prescriptions.
Of course, if you just move to Scotland or Wales, or turn 60, prescriptions are free. But it's still good this saving exists for those of us who are on a tonne of medicines just to function.
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u/mspoppets Mar 22 '23
I’m only just learning how to navigate needing to be on meds long term and this is definitely something more people should know about! I would have missed it if my husband wasn’t all over the Internet about it immediately lol
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u/BassEvers Mar 22 '23
Runescape membership
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u/CrisDuck Mar 22 '23
RuneScape is still a thing? Omg, I’ve played a lot of this back in 2004. Didn’t know that I could pay for something inside the game lol miss that
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u/ScriptingInJava Mar 22 '23
Oldschool Runescape is the reboot of the childhood version everyone played, but it's actively developed (and still has a growing playerbase which is mental). Can always check out /r/2007scape too :)
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u/phoenixflare599 Mar 22 '23
I paid like £30 (maybe less!) for adventure quest "ex-guardian lifetime membership" when I was like 12, I still log on every now and then to see how it's going because of that hahaha
I sent it in change too in an envelope, wild times
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u/takeitbacknowyo Mar 22 '23
Amazon Prime. Now I realise that their business practises aren't very good and they don't treat employees very well. That being said they certainly deliver.
I am starting to use them less often but sometimes they're the only reasonable choice.
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u/MoshizZ Mar 22 '23
Since they put their price up and i order less and less, i've decided to cancel ours.
I've found that a lot of stuff on Amazon can be ordered on eBay with free delivery for the same price if not a little cheaper. I used Amazon loads back in the day but it just seems to slowly be turning into Wish.com
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u/Cyanopicacooki Mar 22 '23
I've found that a lot of stuff on Amazon can be ordered on eBay with free delivery for the same price if not a little cheaper.
I've rediscovered the joys of Argos, and collecting from my Sainsbury is exactly the same distance as my Amazon locker, so my prime has gone bye-bye. As has been said ebay and other bazaars can supply the wee bits and pieces.
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u/MrPissedHimself Mar 22 '23
Been a while since I paid for prime. They offer a free month every now and again. Most of the time the delivery is free but just a day or so slower and I'm totally fine with that
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u/Scr1mmyBingus Mar 22 '23
It was better when Amazon wasn’t mostly a storefront for dubious Chinese knockoffs.
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u/darkamyy Mar 22 '23
Dont worry it'll be getting even worse! Amazon's new scheme is that they will manage all the logistics directly from Chinese factories. That way you get even less quality assurance! Yay!
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Mar 22 '23
It’s strange as since I’ve cancelled Prime, I’ve noticed my parcels arrive the next day anyway. I just make sure I’m ordering over £20 from Amazon supplied items to get the free delivery.
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u/UniquesNotUseful Mar 22 '23
I got Prime when I moved and was doing renovation work for next/same day delivery (snagging items mostly). Subscriptions for regular deliveries are often cheap (with discount for multiple items). Prime Videos is the third part that makes it useful.
I think if any of these disappear I'd re-evaluate.
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u/Bulky-Yam4206 Mar 22 '23
Classic example of a “free service” for a “premium” though. I miss when free delivery was free.
Same with justeat, when they started it was wonderful always getting free delivery and reasonably charged food compared to how they are now.
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u/talon1580 Mar 22 '23
In the UK, Amazon prime do free delivery anyway if you send it to a locker.
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u/adreddit298 Mar 22 '23
Cancelled ours on principle. The principle being that I want local shops to still be here in
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u/takeitbacknowyo Mar 22 '23
Amazon certainly doesn't help and they're atrocious for the environment but alot of local shops are struggling for many reasons. Rising rents being a major issue for example.
I think most people would love to support small local business but it just isn't convenient alot of the time. Often not having the products you want in.
I've attempted to buy a few products from local DIY stores recently and been met with poor service with products not being available. It was simpler and cheaper to look online.
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u/Baba-Yaganoush Mar 22 '23
They also have Prime Gaming and Prime Video which are both useful.
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u/Bulky-Yam4206 Mar 22 '23
National trust membership.
It’s a tenner a month for two people so basically two trips a month and you’ve paid for it basically. (Should be cheaper for individuals)
Free car parking is nothing to sniff at. By quirk, I went to a wedding that was on a cliff out in the area of fuck all, and the only car park there was a national trust car park, which was great as I got to park there for free.
Also they waive the admission fees most times too. So you double dip.
Most people probably have at least one countryside access type place, so you just park up and can walk anywhere there, or an estate ground etc you can spend a day off there with a packed lunch or whatever.
If you do have time to get out and about, I do think it’s worth it. Some outstanding nature out there etc.
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u/never_ending_circles Mar 22 '23
Not much use if you don't have a car, unfortunately. Most of the places are really hard to reach without one.
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u/PurpleTeapotOfDoom Mar 22 '23
Same, seems that castles and monuments in towns and cities are more likely to be free or run by local volunteers for a small charge.
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u/sideone Mar 22 '23
It’s a tenner a month for two people so basically two trips a month and you’ve paid for it basically
Most NT places near us are between £12 and £15 per person, so its less than one a month and you're quids in.
Someone on here said this once and its a great idea: if you're going on a long journey use a NT cafe rather than a motorway service station for a rest stop. Better facilities and you can have a cream tea rather than a bland burger.
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u/sillybillydillydally Mar 22 '23
Depends where you live; living in Cheshire and realising we'd not used our family membership for three years, I cancelled. The concentration of places to go is very variable.
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u/PiemasterUK Mar 22 '23
It’s a tenner a month for two people so basically two trips a month and you’ve paid for it basically. (Should be cheaper for individuals)
Two trips a month is a lot. That means you are going to a National Trust attraction every other weekend.
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u/BuffetingBard Mar 22 '23
I'm a big fan of PC game pass, I stopped playing games in like 2013 but recently got a new PC and for 7.99 I can explore literally hundreds of games I missed out on the past decade
I don't care about the latest call of duty or FIFA like I may have done back then, I can just take my time and play all these little gems that are on there
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u/NarwhalsAreSick Mar 22 '23
I've got gamepass on my Xbox and it's brilliant. So many games and things you can try out.
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u/Anaptyso Mar 22 '23
A year or so back I got an XBox, and it was my first ever proper console (I'm not counting the Wii). I've otherwise only ever done gaming on a PC before, and there were loads of games on the XBox I've never tried out. Gamepass has been really good for this, as I can slowly work my way through all sorts of stuff.
Eventually I might cancel it and buy a few of my favourites, but so far it's been well worth it. There's definitely games I've tried which I might have paid for and ended up not liking, and some other games that I probably wouldn't have bought which have turned out to be really good.
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u/SpudFire Mar 22 '23
I have Ultimate simply because it's an almost-free conversion from Live Gold to GPU, and I like to play online so need Gold. I'm subbed up until about April 2025 I think, worked out at about £2-3 per month average.
I don't take full advantage of it but I've played some great games I never would have if I had to buy them outright (both Ori games spring to mind). Replaying Goldeneye recently has been fun too.
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u/Lostmymojo84 Mar 22 '23
Disney plus - plenty of star wars / marvel / kids movies / documentaries/ crime drama box sets
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u/never_ending_circles Mar 22 '23
I didn't think I'd find much on there at first but there's actually better movies on there than on Netflix. There's some good TV series too. Lie To Me was an interesting watch and I'm currently working my way through the X-Files.
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u/Heyitsroth Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 22 '23
Union membership - you’ll definitely be glad you have it when you need it. And in the meantime it also helps other people.
I say this as someone who stupidly cancelled 2 months before I had my contract unfairly terminated!
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u/Nickibee Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 23 '23
Yep! My last employer was a scum bag, hired someone cheaper to do my job then tried to sack me for gross misconduct. Used a union and it costs me £15 a month and they dragged that shit out for 3 months. They had to put me on garden leave so I got paid to sit at home. Took it to tribunal, got mw 3 months more pay, £5000 for unfair dismissal and even got my equipment I used on the job fully reimbursed. They were fuckin awesome!
EDIT: requests to know the Union, it’s Unite The Union. My Dads best mate was a manager there and that’s how I got in contact with them. They were great.
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u/Accomplished_Hawk_1 Mar 22 '23
Second this.
Currently taking a customer to court because their dog attacked me
Medical covered
Solicitors covered
Everything, I just had to sign some forms.
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u/crazycatladyuk Mar 22 '23
Very true: I lost a job and my union gave me free legal help; they won me compensation. I’m also very aware of how much better working conditions are, thanks to unions.
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u/Skirting0nTheSurface Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 22 '23
Tesco Plus. For £8 a month you get 10% off any 2 shops. One big shop and you’ve already got your money back so it’s great value for money.
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Mar 22 '23 edited 15d ago
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u/Skirting0nTheSurface Mar 22 '23
I was a regular at both during my uni years, the produce just isnt of the same quality unfortunately.
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Mar 22 '23 edited 15d ago
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u/weloveclover Mar 22 '23
I’m veggie and deffo agree that Lidl’s quality is terrible. Flavour is rough and it has a shelf life of a couple of days. Morrisons is by far the best value for money.
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u/Tao626 Mar 22 '23
Funnily enough, I find the same issue with Tesco alongside ASDA.
Supermarket produce, imo, has gone to shit in general. I've found dragging myself out of the house on a Saturday to hit the markets saves far more time than having to do two shops per week at the supermarket because their dogshit produce has gone bad before I even get the fucker to the car boot.
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u/j0nnnnn Mar 22 '23
Lidl and Aldi are trending at 25% inflation when the rest of the grocery market is around 12-14%
They're raising from a lower base, but the price difference is decreasing more and more
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u/Jamesdarlo90 Mar 22 '23
Aldi has gone massively down hill and it’s not even too much cheaper anymore. The fresh produce seems to go off within 2-3 days.
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u/Purple--Aki Mar 22 '23
Yes but people don't want to shop at the crack of dawn to get their groceries before everything sells out.
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u/Fluffygong Mar 22 '23
Also, permanent 10% off Teaco brands, including F&F, are great for people with little ones or pets that like Tesco or Tesco branded food. Just went to get the link for people, and the Fred and flo (baby) is on the list too. https://www.tesco.com/clubcard/clubcard-plus/discount-brands - for people interested
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u/JackStrawWitchita Mar 22 '23
Local organic veg box delivery subscription. It seems expensive but it actually makes me visit the supermarket less. Plus, eating the seasons prompts me to be more creative in the kitchen as I find new ways to prepare veg I don't usually buy. I eat better, more nutritious local food and spend less. Plus the obvious environmental benefits of fewer food miles and supporting local growers.
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u/Gisschace Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 22 '23
Oddbox is one which has a fairly good coverage across the UK: https://www.oddbox.co.uk/
Just need to power through the hard early spring months when it's cabbages, cabbages, cabbages
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u/pr2thej Mar 22 '23
£11.49 for a small box... cool!
Got as far as them adding on a delivery charge to that figure and noped out. Just give me the one price godamnit. It's not like we can go and pick up the food ourselves.
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u/Silkscr3am Mar 22 '23
Haha this is also true. I love my veg box but it's been a long winter of a lot of spuds and carrots. Looking forward to after the hungry gap 😂
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Mar 22 '23
It’s not cheap, but if you love films then I think an unlimited cinema subscription is well worth it (price varies depending on your cinema of choice).
Since getting it my partner and I go multiple times a week, and our local is one of those that has sofas and at seat service etc and it’s only a short walk from us.
It feels like having a luxurious treat every week and we easily save hundreds a month (tickets are £30 for 2, per film vs £50 a month for 2 people unlimited)
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u/CuriousKitten10 Mar 22 '23
I totally second this! Our local Odeon is £10.50 per showing each, and £15.50 for recliners whereas for £14.99 a month each, we go as often as we like and get 10% off the food and drinks. It’s great cos we are watching films we wouldn’t want to pay silly amount for.
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Mar 22 '23
Yeah exactly! It frees you up to enjoy more movies you wouldn’t necessarily choose if you had to pay full price.
It’s great because you can take chances and discover some hidden gems.
My local one also does events like screening premieres of tv shows with free food and drink, and throwback movies every Sunday (again with free food and alcohol) and I wouldn’t typically pay for those, but with membership it’s well worth attending and it’s always an enjoyable time
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u/jimbobhas Mar 22 '23
Completely our fault, but me and my wife both had an unlimited card and we only went to watch one film, which was Sonic the Hedgehog 2. I think we have the record for the most amount of money spent to watch that film
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u/Livid-Doughnut-5399 Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 22 '23
Also in the cinema you’re much less likely to become distracted, play on your phone, get interrupted etc and actually focus properly on the movie.
However, I find these days they can be ruined by people doing all the above and treating it like their living room, so haven’t been in ages.
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u/MrLore Mar 22 '23
Came here to say this, I started back in September and since then I've seen 29 films, the Unlimited card has cost me £114.93 (which works out at £3.96 per film), but if I paid to see the films at full-price it would have been £311.46. Absolute bargain.
Plus, the advanced screenings! I saw Dungeons & Dragons on the 11th and that isn't out till the 31st, and they showed Missing on Feb 1st and that won't be coming out properly until April 21st (both excellent movies).
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u/FredNasr Mar 22 '23
Geoguessr Pro. £3 a month, hours of office boredom killing.
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u/T-Rexauce Mar 22 '23
That's why I prefer the free version - I can at least get 10 mins of work done between games!
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u/jambotron3000 Mar 22 '23
Babylon GP service. There's a flat rate for the year, and you can use it as often as you like. Usually there are appointments available every 5 minutes, 24/7. The other day I got a phone appointment with a GP for 10 minutes after I started booking it. You can also choose to do a video call, and if you don't need a GP you can speak with a nurse, pharmacist or physio.
It is perfect for when you have a problem and you don't know if it is urgent, and your GP surgery says they don't have any appointments until 2027 but you don't know if you should go and spend 7 hours say in A&E.
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u/Capheinated Mar 22 '23
If your job comes with health insurance, most of them include a digital GP service now. So if youve got health insurance, check before you pay up for Babylon or similar separately!
BUPA comes with Babylon, and I agree, it was really good.
Just bear in mind if they give you a prescription its a private one, which means you pay whatever the item costs, not the NHS prescription charge.
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u/thebear1011 Mar 22 '23
Funny thing about the private prescription is I have had instances where it is actually cheaper than the NHS cost.
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u/alex_3410 Mar 22 '23
This is the big spanner in the works, i like the idea of digital GP but would need to be NHS prescription - if done correctly this could take the pressure off of the NHS GP's.
You would also want to stay registered with local GP for when you need in person appointments but as we have learnt from recent years a lot of things can be handled online easily enough.
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u/Ivor-Toad Mar 22 '23
'For just £3 Per Month You Too Can Adopt A Sniper To Take Out Animal Poachers In Africa ' And Recieve a Cuddly Action Man Toy With Rifle.
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u/wishsleepwasoptional Mar 22 '23
Who Gives a Crap toilet paper. Environmentally friendly bamboo loo roll delivered in a giant box.
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u/bryoplast Mar 22 '23
Yep. Them and naked sprout are the loo roll subscriptions I've used, and both work out cheaper than buying around the same or slightest worse from supermarkets, and obviously the environmental impact is important, too.
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u/SuboptimalOutcome Mar 22 '23
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Currently if you do the upgrade from Xbox Gold trick, it costs about £90 for three years. Hundreds of games, including new releases, across Xbox & PC.
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u/shak_0508 Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 22 '23
YouTube premium. For as much as I use YouTube on my phone and iPad, having no ads is glorious.
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u/Gibs960 Mar 22 '23
It's a lot for a service that's free to use, but I was paying £7.99/£8.99 for Disney+/Prime when I barely use it so YouTube Premium feels like a no-brainer considering how much I use it means I can have no ads and listen to videos with my screen locked and also feel like I'm giving back to creators.
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u/Tuarangi Mar 22 '23
Private Eye - £38 and you'll find out all the stuff the other media suppresses or won't publish because they're scared. All the dodgy deals of politicians, firms, even charities, the stuff your council is doing wrong etc
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u/SchrodingersLego Mar 22 '23
I love Private Eye. I can remember crying with laughter at it when I was 17 and I'm in my 60s now. The true stories were so fucking funny. And Pseuds Corner. I have a stack of them that I don't really want anymore but don't have the heart to part with.
Also I have a weird crush on Ian Hislop.
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u/Howtothinkofaname Mar 22 '23
Yeah, I’d second Private Eye. It won’t make you feel any better about the world but it is enlightening.
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u/chickenparmo Mar 22 '23
I subscribe to the Economist and read it every day so I'd say that's worth every single penny to me. I also got a huge avios sign up bonus (20k points) which makes it even better.
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u/HalfManHalfFool Mar 22 '23
Private Eye likewise. Just supporting investigative journalism is worth the cost, nevermind the stories they uncover.
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u/LondonCycling Mar 22 '23
Private Eye for sure. There's an incredible amount of content which just isn't covered by any other media outlet, especially not in such detail (and with such wit).
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u/WondrousDavid_ Mar 22 '23
I came on here to say Private Eye. The Economist is just too pricey for me however if you own an iPad (or any tablet) than a free-subscription to your local library means you can find many magazines including the Economist free as a PDF
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u/barriedalenick Mar 22 '23
New Scientist. At least it was, since I moved away I haven't resubbed but I loved my weekend ritual of having brekkie with a copy open on the table.
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u/1968Bladerunner Mar 22 '23
My only remaining subscription is Office 365 Family which, for about £65/yr, gives me 6 user licenses for the latest version (so my son, daughter, & a couple of friends benefit too), plus 1Tb of OneDrive cloud storage.
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u/fac1987 Mar 22 '23
Go to hotukdeals.com, put an alert for Office 365 and every couple of months or so, you will get an alert for a deal for 12 or if you're lucky, 15 months, for £45-ish pounds
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u/GickyRervais Mar 22 '23
Surely Netflix is up there. When I'm not watching the latest tv shows on whatever platform, my back up is always Netflix, it has most of the classics on it.
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u/Equivalent_Parking_8 Mar 22 '23
I'm scrolling and scrolling and can never find anything to watch these days.
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u/misplacedfocus Mar 22 '23
Netflix puts up your favourite genre when you login fresh. Imagine my horror/awe/offence when I discovered my default genre was European Procedural Suspense TV Programs.
I suggest you binge a load of weird french crime shows. I do. I love them. They are less grim than the Nordic ones, and a bit cheeky for a giggle.
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u/Mi_santhrope Mar 22 '23
For me Netflix is less and less worthwhile. There's loads of options on there but 90% of it is terrible.
We recently got an Apple TV trial and there's not anywhere near as much as Netflix to choose from, but everything I have watched has been top notch.
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u/germainefear Mar 22 '23
Private Eye. Phil Hammond's column alone justifies the cost of the subs.
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u/FocusGullible985 Mar 22 '23
The subscription to my gym. £25 a month for all facilities, stay as long as I want and great equipment.
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u/Scrooges Mar 22 '23
If you love film, Mubi. Its selection of movies is beyond anything you’ll get anywhere else: classics, foreign film, huge range of art house etc. A genuinely brilliant service.
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u/Madypaker Mar 22 '23
Pret coffee subscription. For £25 a month you get up to 5 coffees (or any other hot and some iced drinks) per day. With the prices averaging £3 per drink, you get your money back after fully using it for 2 days.
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u/Whitelakebrazen Mar 22 '23
A bit niche, but I have a Zombies Run subscription. I've used it ever since I got into running a few years ago - I like having a story to listen to while I run. I also have a legacy subscription, so it's only £8.99 a year for me - 100% worth it!
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u/Electronic-Carry631 Mar 22 '23
If you're a gamer then I would say Playstation Plus Extra (mid-tier) as you get a huge collection of titles added on a monthly basis.
A vast majority of the titles stay on there for absolutely ages.
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u/ObjectiveTumbleweed2 Mar 22 '23
Agree with this. However due to damned adult responsibilities it now means I have a huge backlog I never get the chance to get through
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u/q-the-light Mar 22 '23
Audible Plus. I listen to audio books every night as I bod off, and the combination of the plus catalogue and a free paid book every month means I pay pennies for all of the books I listen to. I'd spend a fortune on audio books without my subscription!
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u/MoshizZ Mar 22 '23
HelloFresh/Gousto the more we use it.
Usually only using it if theres the option for 40% off or something, but not having to go to a shop or get a food delivery in, trying meals we'd never try as well as not snacking as much because i'm not just popping the can of pringles or snickers in the trolley when i'm doing a shop means we're losing a bit of weight too.
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u/spornerama Mar 22 '23
Cancelled ours. Missing items and rotting food got too annoying.
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u/MoshizZ Mar 22 '23
Food hasn't ever been rotting for us, we've had menu's not included a couple of times and one time a spice mix wasn't included - we managed to just use some we had in the cupboard.
I find the portions fairly small and the chicken sometimes can be shitty cuts, but other than that it's been decent.
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u/Jlaw118 Mar 22 '23
Recently subscribed to Planet Radio’s premium services to stop ads. An absolute God-send.
Considering I listen to the radio pretty often, every 15 minutes it’s the same, repetitive, dire adverts.
“Free spins here!” “Ready to start dating again?” “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” “Sign up for this casino today!”
For the sake of £3.99 a month it feels like peanuts to not have to listen to such adverts again four times an hour
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u/MrsSPB2011 Mar 22 '23
Asda delivery pass - we paid £39 for a year and we get free food deliveries as long as it’s over £40 and on a Tues, Wed or Thurs. Saves us a minimum of £4.50 a week. Paid for itself in 9 weeks.
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u/DoctorOctagonapus Mar 22 '23
I'm subscribed to Smol for laundry tablets. I worked out when I first signed up they come in slightly cheaper per wash than the own-brand stuff I was buying at the supermarket.
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u/je97 Mar 22 '23
I'm amazed nobody has said this yet.
Uber one. You get 5 % off all your uber trips for £6 a month. Given I take 5 a week, and uber started off cheaper than my local taxis I'm saving money even without using the ubereats part of the service.
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u/lituk Mar 22 '23
What are you doing where you take 5 ubers a week??
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u/je97 Mar 22 '23
Being blind. I can't drive and busses are unreliable, even if I could find all the bus stops.
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u/lituk Mar 22 '23
Ah I'd never considered that. Sorry for the bewildered tone.
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u/je97 Mar 22 '23
No worries, it's not really something I expect people to consider honestly.
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u/Ailingbumblebee Mar 22 '23
Honestly, All4 is up there for me. £3.99 a month and you get some of the best British comedies of the past 20 years without any ads.
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u/Codingtux Mar 22 '23
My swimming membership, £43 a month for unlimited access to Edinburgh leisures swimming pools. Most of them have a sauna and steam room too. I swim four times a week, so it's less than £3 a pop, and the best investment I could make in my health
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u/Independent-Middle22 Mar 22 '23
The NHS prescription one. If you take regular medication and pay for your prescription then your can save quite a lot (I save hundreds). I wish we didn't have to pay for prescriptions but it is what it is.
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u/Radiant_Loquat7310 Mar 22 '23
Someone might have mentioned this already and this is more UK based but if you are thinking of buying your first home and you are in need of some new appliances or you are just thinking of updating some things around the house then signing up to Which? for a month or two gives you full access to all their reviews and test scores. It offers a lot more but I found it helpful for this in particular.
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u/BroodLord1962 Mar 22 '23
I'm more than happy with my Amazon Prime membership. TV, Movies, Music, Books, Magazines, and next day delivery on loads of orders. So much better value than Netflix
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u/SuitableTank0 Mar 22 '23
Costco...
The savings on fuel pay for themselves, and the rotisserie chickens are the some of the best ive ever had.
Thats before you get to the savings on buying 500 toilet rolls in one go.
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u/lookhereisay Mar 22 '23
Spotify. We have Duo plan for us both. I listen to podcasts, music, kids stories and music with my son, listen to white noise all night long. It more than pays for itself.
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Mar 22 '23
Viz / Private Eye / Wire
My wife subscribes to the London Review of Books which I sometimes read but it's a bit highbrow for me. Prefer Viz.
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u/codename474747 Mar 22 '23
The BBC
I don't think I've honestly watched anything on itv since broadchurch and I just had advert breaks so much I think the licence fee is worth it for a lack of adverts alone.
People get confused with the news output being the face of the Bbc for some reason, and yes politically they get themselves into hot water trying to appease a government that hates them, stupidly, but aside from news, the quality of their programmes alone surpass all others. Including Radio and all the other stuff it pays for too.
But then saying anything slightly positive about the BBC online is a dangerous game. I should make some sort of comment about "prepared for the downvotes" but that seems a bit cliche lol
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u/Spanky_Da_Monkey Mar 22 '23
Prescription prepayment scheme
I'm on too many tablets to mention, and if I had to pay individually I'd be looking at a substantial bill each month. This way I pay once and ALL my prescriptions are then free for the rest of the year.
Totally worth it
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